As Lily moved to hold her hands, Callista squeezed his in turn and watched the exchange between Talis and Nereus. She was ready to step between them at any moment. For what reason, she wasn't quite sure except for the fact that she knew Talis was part of it. His words, about freeing her from the collar ... The fact that he even thought about it, had Callista smiling gratefully at the man and turning so her neck was exposed for the man Lily trusted so much.

Reaching out with a disdainful look, Nereus touched the collar and watched as it fell uselessly to the ground. "Now what about you?" Grey eyes moving to Lily, he felt a little relieved that the woman was taking care of him and had been there for him during his captivity. The fox was precious to him, and thinking that he'd lived trough the horrors Violet had wrought without support had been tormenting Nereus since he'd found out that the man had taken the fox to his bed.

He was even a little grateful to this other person for being there. It was obvious he wanted to protect the fox just as much as Nereus did.

Lily brightened back up, ears twitching lightly as it seemed that Nereus and Talis weren't going to fight. Maybe. He wriggled excitedly when Nereus removed Callista's collar. It was an exciting moment, though quickly his eyes turned to Talis. Surely Talis also wanted his collar removed too. It would be so stupid of the man to keep it on. Lily watched the dragon intently.

Talis tilted his head just a bit. "If you can get it off me, then by all means, go for it." There was a bit of a challenge in the way he held himself, the way he had said those words. Honestly Talis didn't really expect that this man could remove his collar, and he would be surprised if it did happen. At least Callista and Lily were free from theirs...for now. Talis stood there patiently, expectantly as he waited for this man to attempt the removal his collar.

After watching them interact, she looked to Talis a little uncertainly. He'd saved her, so it only made sense that she did so. He looked so arrogant right now, he always did. "How do you do it, seem so confident all the time?" It wasn't really spoken loudly, just murmured as she tried to decide whether to leave with Nereus or not.

Reaching out, Nereus's eyes widened when the collar was under his fingers. Such spells! "It'll take me a while, but I can take it off." Looking from him to Lily, the young man slipped to the side and wrapped an arm around Lily. "We can't stay here any longer though, so decide if you wish to come with us, or stay." He was sure that by now more pursuers would have been sent after them. This time with the knowledge of their direction firmly printed into the snow.

Lily blinked, looking at Callista for a moment when she murmured something, his ears twitching, but he was sure she wasn't talking to him. But she had spoken so quietly. He shook his head and watched as Nereus tried to remove Talis' collar, then Nereus was next to him and Lily murred softly, letting go of Callista's hand and leaning against Nereus. His eyes were on Talis though.

Talis had smirked lightly, he really had expected the man to fail at removing his collar. Still that probably wasn't something he should be proud of, that smirk faltered a bit when he watched Nereus put an arm around Lily. "We'll go with you. Safety in numbers, right?" Callista had murmured something and he smiled at her, put a hand on her shoulder lightly. "It's in my nature, I guess." He squeezed her shoulder lightly and moved around to grab Lily's hand, the fox let out a startled squeak and then a string of giggles when Talis pulled him away from Nereus and embraced him in a big hug. Talis lifted Lily off the ground, holding him with one arm so the fox was more or less sitting on that arm. Lily wrapped his arms around Talis' neck and clung to him. Talis was watching Nereus, just to see how he might react.

He wasn't sure if he liked the idea of traveling with the man who'd not trusted him to take care of Lily. The emotion was only made worse when he saw how the two interacted. Nereus had to stifle the urge to reach out and pummel this Talis with everything he had. Though it soon became too much when he noted the way Talis held Lily. Letting out a growl, he somehow managed to get Lily out of the way so he could throw a few good punches forward. He didn't want to kill the man, he just wanted to hurt him very badly indeed. Was he nothing more then a replacement for this person then? Slamming a hand towards Talis's jaw, then moving more quickly then it seemed he could, a kick was aimed at the other man's knees.

Letting out a small sigh, Callista ran a hand trough her long silvery hair as she watched Talis pull Lily away from the knight. It didn't seem like such a good idea to her, and that was proved more then true when Nereus leaped forward to attack Talis. They might not have spoken much, but that didn't mean she didn't have a soft spot for the mysterious man. Yelling out a single word, she hoped it worked without harming Talis. A gush of air moved forward to pull Nereus away, depositing him in a nearby snow bank. This exhaustion of energy was the last straw for Callista, who had been working very hard on finding Lily, and then had been using her magics all morning for various reasons. Falling into the snow, her eyes fluttered opened and closed as a healing sleep made it's way trough her body.

Lily had hugged Talis tightly, lips parting to say something to Talis. Before he could though, Nereus had attacked. Honestly the fox wasn't sure what had happened, but somehow he was on the ground in the snow, unhurt and out of harm's way. Talis and Nereus were quick people. He watched in horror at first, that horror turning to sadness, and then to anger. When Callista deposited Nereus in a snow bank the fox moved rather angrily to the man. There were tears in his eyes, and he came very close to Nereus head.

Drawing his hand back he smacked the human as hard as he could with his open palm. Lily had never hit anyone before, and he quickly backed away from Nereus, fresh tears welling in his eyes as he shook his hand a bit. It smarted and tingled. "You're supposed to be nice. I trust you, you can't do things like that! Nice people don't do things like that!" Lily chewed his bottom lip, looking at Talis, then to Callista. He gasped lightly and rushed to Callista's side.

Talis had practically dropped Lily when he saw Nereus coming, somehow Nereus had managed to get Lily out of the way. Talis blocked one of the punches that was thrown his way, but he wasn't quite quick enough to stop the others. Then a hand slammed into his jaw and his knees were being kicked. Talis was on the ground now, panting slightly from the pain. He fully expected more blows to rain down upon him, but they didn't. Callista's magic saved him. Talis hadn't made the slightest noise during that beating and honestly it was pretty tame compared to how violent Violet could get.

Talis repositioned himself so he sat on his butt in the snow, one hand rubbing his jaw and the other rubbing the side of his face. The only reason he hadn't hit the man back, was because he hadn't want to upset Lily. Though he was caught completely by surprise at how angry Lily had gotten, he blinked when Lily smacked the man. When Lily looked at him, Talis nodded towards Callista. Poor girl, she'd used way too much magic, and if she slept on the snow like that, she might get sick. Talis wanted to get up and go to Lily and Callista's side, but at the moment he didn't seem to have the energy to do anything more than just sit and watch. "Don't worry, Lil. She just needs to rest, she's used a lot of magic today."

It was more then a little shocking to be pulled off from the other man just when he was beginning to feel like he might be getting his point across. Though the cold snow had Nereus's temper cooling down quickly enough. Now it was replaced with guilt and just bit of incredulity as he felt an unexpected hand hit him. Blinking a little and rubbing his jaw, Nereus watched as Lily walked away. In a way, he was glad the fox had hit him. It showed him that sweet tempered Lily might actually be able to learn how to defend himself.

Standing with care, snow crunched beneath his feet as the armored man moved to crouch down beside the fox. "Lily I'm sorry. I just got jealous I suppose, because you're never acted like that around me." He was finding out the reasons behind his actions and his uncontrollable bout of anger as he spoke. It only made him more ashamed. Though, Talis was still partially in the wrong for provoking him like that.

When Nereus moved to crouch beside him, Lily flinched slightly. As if he had expected a painful reprimanding from Nereus. He watched the man carefully for a moment, then relaxed. Reaching out to lightly poke Callista in the ribs. "I hardly know you. Talis is my brother, why shouldn't I be happy to see him?" Lily frowned deeply as he looked at Nereus, eyes wide and not quite understanding why such a thing would make this man jealous.

Talis had chuckled lightly, slowly getting to his feet and dusting the snow off of himself. He felt sore and he was sure he was sporting some fine bruises, that really wasn't anything new. His eyes were on Callista though. She couldn't just lay in the snow like that. He approached almost cautiously, keeping a wary eye on Nereus as he removed his long fur lined coat with the rips and tears in it's back. The dragon shivered lightly as covered Callista up to her chin with the coat, then he leaned down and picked her up. Talis didn't say a word, but amusement danced in his golden eyes. It seemed to him that Nereus had a little crush on Lily.

Brother? Was that what he saw Talis as? It hadn't seemed like that to him at all. Though, Nereus wasn't quite sure if his possessiveness of Lily might have made their actions seem a tad bit more then they were. Still, the greeting wasn't one he'd seen any brothers he knew use. Shaking his head, a sigh left his lips making a small cloud in the cold air. "I.. Lily, you mean quite a bit to me and ..." He just couldn't find the right words to say what he meant. Instead he reached out to run a gentle hand over the fox's ears and trough his hair. It was such a soothing action. The knight's focus was all on the fox, though he noted absentmindedly what Talis did.

Callista moved slightly as she was covered up then lifted from the snow. The young woman moved to curl into the warmth Talis offered, and a hand moved up to catch hold of what fabric it could. Settling down again, Callista made a small content sound and slipped deeper into her slumber now that she was warm.

"Prove it then. If you really like me so much then stop being mean to my friends." The fox could be fierce at times, though honestly he would probably never stand up for himself the way he stood up for those close to him. Those ears twitched lightly and he tilted his head slightly towards Nereus, slowly the fox pulled away and stood, dusting himself off and tugging his dress thing down a bit.

Talis certainly didn't get jealous when Nereus ran his hand through Lily's hair, instead he watched with amusement. Shaking his head lightly. "Lily you should ride the horse." The beast stood where Talis had left it, pawing at the snow, looking for hidden grass to eat. Lily had opened his mouth to protest, but Talis shook his head. With a sigh the fox approached the horse, and nimbly swung up into the saddle. Talis looked at Nereus expectantly. "Shouldn't we be moving?" Talis wasn't sure how far he could travel carrying Callista but he was certain he could carry her longer and farther than any normal human could. He shifted her just slightly in his arms, getting a firmer grip around her.

Finding nothing to say in answer to Lily's words, Nereus settled for standing up. Brushing himself off, the knight adjusted his armor slightly and made sure the furs beneath them were still well placed. He let out a sigh as Talis told Lily to get onto the horse. Sending a slight glare at the man, he moved to stand beside the horse and rested a hand against the horse's neck. Looking up at Lily, Nereus sighed a little. He hadn't meant to make the fox so angry.

Lily pat the horses neck, running his hand gently over the soft fur. Then the fox sat up straight, taking the reins in his hand. "..I think Talis and Callista should ride though." He was frowning softly as he looked from Nereus to Talis, his frown deepening a bit at the head shake Talis gave him.

Talis shook his head when Lily spoke and looked at him, holding Callista close. The dragon moved around Nereus and the horse to stand on Lily's other side. Talis looked at Lily, giving him a quick once over. The fox really needed better clothes for this kind of weather, but Talis had nothing he could offer the young man. Talis peered over the horses rump and around Lily's back to look expectantly at Nereus, waiting for the man to take the lead and determine which direction they should go in.

At least they agreed on something. "At least they're dressed for the weather. You may have my cloak, but your shoes are definitely not suited to walking in the snow." Reaching out to hold the horses halter, he began walking forward in the direction he knew would lead them out of Violet's territory. It wouldn't take more then an hour for them to cross that invisible line, giving them at least some modicum of safety. Though they were in the forest, he knew exactly where they were. As long as the storm didn't come back, he would be able to get them away from this place safely.

Lily pouted a bit, but Nereus was right. Lily definitely wasn't dressed for this kind of weather. He held on firmly as the horse began moving with Nereus guiding it. Glancing over at Talis for a few moments, he smiled at the dragon. Lily was glad that his friends had run away too, Nereus had been so nice to him, but still he barely knew the man. It made him feel a bit safer with people he knew and completely trusted also by his side. Lily trusted Nereus too, but not quite as much as he trusted Callista and Talis. Especially after the way Nereus had attacked Talis, all unprovoked like that. His ears twitched and he shook his head a bit it had just been a small misunderstanding really.

Talis was silent as they walked. Lost in thought, but still keeping an eye on Lily and every once in awhile he would peek around the horse to watch Nereus. On the outside, Talis seemed well composed. He shifted Callista just the slightest bit, to keep her from slipping out of his arms. The dragon remained silent as they traveled, really he had nothing to say at the moment.

Moving with sure footed steps, the young man glanced around and sighed a little. "Lily, are you cold?" His eyes moved to the other two, but didn't really pay them any mind. He did notice how the mage nuzzled Talis in her sleep, which made him frown a little. What did this Violet do with his slaves that they cared for each other so much, but would do anything to run away from him? It was a little puzzle that he would figure out eventually, he hoped.

Lily shook his head lightly at Nereus question. "No. I'm alright." He did pull Nereus' cloak tighter around him though. But the heat coming from the horse helped a little, besides. His body ran a bit hotter than a normal persons. So he was cold, but not as cold as a normal person would be. He would be alright, he turned those eyes to Talis. Bright and innocent eyes.

Talis wished Callista wouldn't nuzzle against him like that, he wished Lily wouldn't look at him with joy filled, innocent eyes. It made it so much harder for him to have to do what he knew he must. It hurt as well. Talis heart cried in his chest, but he had no choice. No choice at all and he knew they wouldn't understand, especially Lily. Talis shivered lightly, maybe from the cold, maybe from something else. He certainly wasn't looking forward to when they would stop for the night. Talis wouldn't make his move until everyone was asleep.

It seemed like they walked forever, trudging trough the snow and shivering in the cold. The day passed on without any more incidents, which made Nereus all the more suspicious of the people Lily trusted implicitly. He wasn't arguing the fact that they were good people, what he doubted was how much control Violet had over them. That was the true question in all of this. He kind of knew what it was like, having an authority figure so powerful that you felt like you had no choice in the matter and had to do whatever they said you had to. It was the reason why the man had slaughtered so many innocent people without asking any questions, until it was too late.

Soon enough, they had crossed the boundary and moved much further into territory away from Violet. Still, Nereus chose a nice hidden spot for them to rest in. It was a little clearing surrounded by trees and beside rocky cliff. This time they weren't lucky enough to find a cave, but he managed to create a shelter of sorts with young pine trees by bending them and tying them into the needed shape for them to protect the occupants from the wind and whatever snow might fall in the night.

Lily was glad when they finally stopped. His bottom a little sore from riding for so long, and his legs felt a bit stiff. When they did come to a stop in the clearing, the fox didn't hesitate, he dismounted the horse quickly and standing next to it stretched some and yawned. He reached over and pet it softly for a moment, then he busied himself with hovering around Nereus as the man created a shelter of sorts. Watching intently and being careful to not get in the way.

Talis was only a little glad they had stopped. He had carried Callista for such a long way, his arms were ready to give out. Still he held her for a while longer, watching as Lily hovered around Nereus. This was going to be so difficult and Nereus was probably going to kill him for it. Talis shivered a bit as he stepped towards Nereus, arms trembling and stiff from being in such a position for so long. But he was determined not to drop Callista. He stood just a few feet away as Nereus finished the shelter, then moved forward to lay Callista within the confines of the slightly protective shelter. Talis came back out, shivering and moving his arms this way and that, stretching them a bit to work the kinks out.

Once satisfied with the shelter of sorts, Nereus stepped back and proceeded to create a fire with what he was able to find around the clearing. That done, he removed some of the dried meat he had in his pack and motioned for Talis and Lily to come take some. "Do either of you know how much longer she'll sleep? " He wanted to spend time alone with Lily so badly, but he doubted that would happen anytime soon with the dark haired man around.

Lily had bounded over to take the dried meat when Nereus motioned for him to take some. He munched on it happily, it was really good. Though it was far from a delicacy, Lily enjoyed it greatly. He hummed softly, glancing towards Callista and then prancing off towards the horse. The horse watched Lily absently, it's ears flicking, and every time the horse flicked it's ears, Lily twitched his own. For a brief moment they touched noses, then the horse returned to pawing at the snow, trying to dig out some grass. When Lily finished the meat he had taken, he squatted down to dig in the snow too. Helping the horse look for grass, apparently.

Talis came over and took only a few pieces of the dried meat, he took them hesitantly. Watching Nereus almost warily as he stood so close to the man. The meat in his hands he moved back from the man. Honestly, Talis didn't want this person to hit him again. This man had no power over him, and so had no right to get violent. If Lily weren't there, Talis wouldn't have minded too much though, because then the dragon would have fought back. He munched on the dried meat. "There's no telling. She's exhausted herself, she might not wake up til the morning." Those golden eyes shifted from Nereus, towards Callista and then to Lily. The dragon couldn't help but laugh softly as the fox interacted with the horse.

For a few moments he watched Lily and the horse with a small smile. He really was an adorable person, so sweet and caring. After a minute or two, Nereus turned his eyes to Talis and frowned. "If they catch up to us, we need to have a plan for getting out of here." The cliff blocked one way, and the thick trees another. So in reality, there were only two ways out. Hopefully no large party had been following their tracks.

Shaking his head, the man moved to speak with Lily. It was getting late, and about time they snatched what sleep they could. "Lily, you should go get some sleep." Raising his voice for Talis's benefit he went on. "I'll take first watch and wake the next person in a while."

Lily and the horse had just managed to clear away a nice sized area of snow so the beast could have at least a little something in it's belly, when Nereus approached. "Mr. Horse has food too now." Lily giggled a bit as he stood, smiling at Nereus. When Nereus told him to go to sleep, he glanced at the sky, and then at Talis. As if seeking affirmation from the dragon. When Talis nodded, Lily shrugged. "Alright. Good night." He grabbed Nereus forearms and leaned up to give the man a kiss on the cheek. Then the fox bounded over to Talis, giving him a kiss on the cheek as well before disappearing into the shelter.

Talis waited until Lily had gone into the shelter, with a slight shrug, Talis moved over to the horse. So far the creature hadn't run off from them, how long would that last? He stroked the creatures face and whispered softly to it, mostly it seemed like the horse ignored him. More concerned with eating the grass it had unearthed from beneath the snow. Talis gave the beast a firm pat and turned his attention to Nereus. "Lily should be free. He should have a nice home, with someone he can love and trust. Callista should be free too, she should be in a tower, learning and perfecting her craft. Can you help them to achieve the freedom they deserve?"

It made him smile a little, the way Lily talked. So ... Apparently the horse was now named Mr.Horse. That brought a chuckle to the knight's lips. Shaking his head slightly as the fox bounded away, he turned his attention to the dragon. "I can do my best to help them find what they need. That's really all I can say. And you? What is it you want?" Perhaps Talis wasn't so horrible after all, though Nereus still didn't like him. In fact, he was a little jealous of him for the obvious affection Lily had for him.

Talis tilted his head back. His golden eyes on the sky. "It doesn't matter what I want." Talis wanted to fly again, but he was sure that would never happen. How long had he been slave, even before Violet owned him? Far too long. He stared at the sky for a few moments longer, then shook his head, looking at Nereus before he shrugged and turned. Talis walked away, heading towards the shelter to peek in it and check on Lily and Callista. The fox was already asleep and cuddled close to Callista. Talis slipped into the shelter, but he wouldn't sleep. He would wait patiently for Nereus to finally turn in for the night. Then he would make his move.

The white haired man looked up at the sky as well, finding the stars fascinating. They shone so brightly here, shedding their light down upon the snow covered ground. So absorbed was he, that the man didn't notice when Talis walked away to go into the shelter. For the next few hours he walked around, checking the perimeter and making sure there was no sign of anyone following them. Soon enough though the cold began seeping into Nereus's skin, making him shiver and quake. Giving up, he shrugged and slipped into the shelter. Removing his armor, Nereus then tried to find a place for himself beside Lily, and ended up wrapping and arm around him. Slipping slowly into sleep, he didn't notice what Talis did, or even if the dragon was still awake.